Did a quick overnighter to there last night. On the drive in the gorge, the smoke seemed so bad, but when I turned north and left the gorge and Columbia, it got a fair amount better. There was a nice breeze too on the ridge hike from Road 54. Note that the road sign to turn to the trailhead has been vandalized, so don't miss it, about 9.5 miles from where Zydlo road turns into FR 54. Trail is very steep and fairly short, and is in great shape, with some huge logs cut out. Two other groups camped there on a Wednesday night. No mosquitoes but some flies in the morning when conditions were calm.

Can somebody answer this: During a smoky heat wave, why would anybody want a campfire that just adds more heat and smoke?

With regards to your campfire question, the answer is simply that it's tradition to have a campfire. Even if it's 90-plus degrees, people have a fire, stand back 20 feet and admire the wood burning in the circle of stones. It doesn't make sense when its warm/hot, but neither does driving an RV to a campground on Memorial Day weekend to "get away from it all" wen you bring your electronics and find yourself in a more congested space than you had if you stayed at home.

BigBear wrote:people have a fire, stand back 20 feet and admire the wood burning in the circle of stones.

20 feet back from the fire I saw puts you either in the lake or in the brush on the hillside. They had to be a lot closer than that. You are right that it is tradition, probably evolutionary tradition, but many other traditions have gone by the wayside.

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